


To Fly Without Wings

by Batsutousai



Series: Of Angels and Demons [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Familial Abuse, M/M, Religious Themes & References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-05-07
Updated: 2005-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-20 05:59:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to <span class="u">Tainted Wings</span>.<br/>God-to-be Harry Potter has fallen in love with the Demon Lord Voldemort. It is a match that will cross boundaries and change worlds, if only the Angels will allow it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Fly Without Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by magickmaker17.
> 
>  **Disclaim Her:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

-~*~-  
1997, Heaven  
-~*~-  


"Why is _he_ still here?" Sirius Black spat as the Demon Lord led Harry Potter into God's Receiving Chamber.

"Because I _asked_ him to stay," Harry shot back coldly, stepping in front of Voldemort in an almost protective manner. "And only God can kick him out, so why don't you keep your mouth shut, Siri?"

"Harry!" Lily stared at her son in shock. She had just entered the room with the current God, Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded at the Demon Lord and the young Angel protecting him from his family's glares. "Harry, welcome back."

Voldemort's lips curled up into a cold smile. "Getting old, Dumbledore?"

"Perhaps," Dumbledore agreed before any of the surrounding Angels could speak. “Are you done here, Tom?”

Voldemort pursed his lips tightly and traded a look with Harry. The young Angel seemed to understand. “I will write. I swear it.”

“Then we will keep an eye out for your letters,” the Demon Lord agreed before turning and stalking from the chamber. The two had already said their goodbyes.

Harry’s eyes trailed after the retreating form sadly. _I shall have to remember to visit him sometime soon, as well..._

Dumbledore frowned at the young Angel’s drooping wings. This friendship, if that’s all it was, did not bode well. It would have to be fixed.

-~*~-  
August of 2003, Heaven  
-~*~-

“The sins of a Demon are considered proper. The sins of a Human forces them into Hell. The sins of an Angel are punished by Falling. However, this specific Angel will not be punished by a Falling. He suggested forcing another Angel who had sinned to continue on as a Human, instead of Falling; his punishment should be the same. Those in favour?”

“ _ **AYE!**_ ” the stormy sea of voices rose against the young Angel.

“Those against?”

“Nay!” four voices cried out.

Dumbledore turned to the Angel on trial with a haunted gaze. _If only they hadn’t found out..._ he thought regretfully as Harry stared back at him in muted understanding. The Great God rose his hand and placed it against Harry’s head. “I, Great God Albus Dumbledore, lock within you your Angelic self and hereby sentence you to a life on Earth.”

Harry’s eyes closed sadly as he felt his wings melt away. If only Ron and Bill hadn’t followed him last week when he’d visited Voldemort. If only they hadn’t seen the kiss. If only they’d stayed long enough to get an explanation. If only he’d warned Albus in time. _This is no time for regrets, Potter!_ his mind berated him harshly. _‘If only’s will get you nowhere and just make you feel worse. Albus promised to bring you back. And the Human World can’t be **all** bad._

“Ronald and William Weasley, as his accusers, it is your duty to take this Human to his new home.” Dumbledore’s stiff voice broke through Harry’s thoughts. Harry knew the current God was just as upset about these developments as he was, and the current Demon Lord would be furious when word finally got to him.

Harry allowed himself to be dragged from the Hearing Chamber by his two once-friends mutely, head bowed to hide his anger. It would not do for the others to have another thing against him now.

-~*~-

A short slip-stream trip found the two Angels and their one-time friend outside a decent enough house. Wings hidden, the Angels banged on the door coldly, both keeping a tight grip on their limp prisoner.

The door opened to reveal a blonde woman with an abnormally long neck. She smiled at the young man between the two Angels. “Harry, child, come in, come in!”

Harry blinked up at the woman in shock. “Aunt Petunia?” he murmured as his captors let him go. He hadn’t seen his aunt since he was five. His mother had once told him that Petunia left Heaven because she’d fallen in love with a Human.

“Yes.” Petunia smiled. “I’m so glad you still recognise me. Please, in.” She stepped back to allow her nephew entrance, though the look she shot the two Angels who had brought him told them quite clearly that _they_ were _not_ welcome.

Harry followed his aunt into a medium sized kitchen and sat down in the seat she motioned to before she got started on making them some food. Smiling at her back, Harry spoke what was on his mind. “Albus didn’t tell me I was being sent here.”

Petunia smiled. “No, he wouldn’t have, I suppose.” She tugged on a lock of her hair. “We’ll have to get you some Human clothing, of course, but you should fit in just fine. God told me in his message that you have a slight affinity for Humans and that you should be able to mange without too much trouble.”

“Yeah. Musta got it from you,” Harry teased, leaning back in his chair. “How have you been, anyway?”

“Well enough.” Petunia let out a sigh as she sat a plate and cup down before her nephew, before sitting down with her own lunch.

Harry cocked his head to one side and studied his aunt carefully. She looked weary, as if Human life was slowly pulling her down. There were wrinkles around her face that had nothing to do with laughter and that Harry had only ever seen on the oldest of Angels. “You look tired. Are you unwell?” Harry asked with a touch of worry, ignoring his food.

Petunia smiled sadly. “My husband, Vernon, has taken up drinking, I’m afraid. You’ll have to be very, very careful around him.”

Harry nodded slightly, making a note of the fact. “Mum said you had a son?”

“Dudley,” Petunia agreed, face lighting up. “I do hope you two will get along.”

“Has he wings?” Harry inquired mildly, poking at his sandwich.

Petunia’s smile seemed to brighten. “No, he’s Human through and through.” She took a sip of her water. “How are your parents?”

Harry’s expression darkened. “They were killed this past October in a Cherubic Uprising.”

“Oh!” Petunia’s eyes widened in horror. “Harry, I’m sorry! I had no idea!”

Harry waved the apology away with a sigh. “I know. It’s fine. I should have paid you a visit to let you know earlier. It is I who should apologise.”

“You had a lot on your mind,” Petunia responded firmly.

Harry thought about the training he’d been going through at the time and the constant sneaking off to visit with Voldemort and nodded. “Yes.”

Petunia pursed her lips. “You’re not going to eat that, are you?” she inquired softly.

Harry pulled his hand away from the mutilated bologna sandwich with a sheepish look. “I suppose not.”

The woman smiled and stood. “Come on, then. Let’s see if we can’t find you something to wear from Dudley’s old clothing.”

Harry stood and followed her up into the attic where they stopped next to a pile of dusty old boxes. “How old _is_ all this stuff?” the young man asked before letting out a sneeze.

Petunia chuckled and handed her nephew a tissue. “We haven’t really had the chance to give any of this stuff away for quite a few years now, I’m afraid.” She pulled open a box that was labelled “1996” in bold letters. “This stuff should fit you.”

Harry watched with a touch of amusement as his aunt pulled out a pair of ripped up jeans that could have fit two of him. “I take it my cousin isn’t quite as thin as me?”

Petunia shot him a mock glare. “He’s got big bones,” she said in defence of her son.

Harry chuckled. “He got it from Uncle Vernon’s side, I assume.”

“Yes.” Petunia smiled and continued going through the box. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what atrocious sin did you commit that had everyone but God and a select few other Angels against you?”

Harry let out a sigh and settled down in the middle of the floor, robe billowing out around him gently and kicking up a small cloud of dust. “I fell in love with a Demon.”

Petunia gave her nephew an odd look. “And how in the Great God’s name did you manage _that_? I thought Angels and Demons still kept away from one another.”

“I was pushed from Heaven one day and a Demon found me here in the Human World. He took me down to Hell and I stayed there for a while,” Harry explained evenly.

“And fell in love.” Petunia sighed. “Well, I can hardly criticise you, since I did the same thing myself. But–” she shot her nephew a piercing look that made Harry want to squirm in his seat, “–he’d better treat you well or I’ll have a nice long talk with him.”

Harry didn’t know whether to be amused by the thought of his aunt taking on the Demon Lord, or shocked that she knew his sexual preference. He decided to go with shocked in the end. “How’d you know I was gay?”

Petunia smiled. “Child, I’ve know you would be gay since the day I helped Lily birth you. It was written in your Aura.”

Harry nodded absently. He knew his aunt was an Aura Reader, which was a rare gift that happened to run in the Evans line, but he hadn’t known that one’s sexuality showed in one’s Aura. He, himself, had a faint ability to see Auras, but he had to really concentrate on it, and he hadn’t even become aware of the gift until he’d started training with God four years ago.

Petunia set the pair of ripped jeans, a well-worn belt, and an over-large shirt in Harry’s lap. “Let’s get you changed, hum? I promise we’ll go out and get you new stuff later on.”

Harry smiled up at his aunt and let her help him stand. “What will I do while I’m here? I should help to pay for my things...”

Petunia shook her head with a faint smile. “Well, you’re definitely an Angel,” she offered. Harry nudged her side and they shared a laugh before she spoke again, this time with a serious tone. “You got good grades in History, correct?”

Harry cocked his head to one side thoughtfully before nodding. “Yes. Passed at the top of my class.”

Petunia smiled at him. “Great! You’ll get a job with me at the local college teaching History. I’ve been thinking I needed an assistant for years now.”

Harry let out a pleasant laugh. “That’s great!”

“I know.” Petunia winked mischievously. “They give us free lunches.”

Harry laughed again.

-~*~-

Dudley’s first reaction to Harry was one of shock, then mild annoyance. Petunia had ordered Dudley to show his cousin around the neighbourhood, though, so the two found themselves out at the nearby playground without much to do.

“Do you have any friends back at your old home?” Dudley asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence that had grown between them.

Harry glanced over at where the slightly older boy sat on a park bench from his swing. “Yeah,” he agreed, then swallowed with some difficulty when he recalled Ron’s sharp words to him before his trial. “Not as many as I thought I’d had, though, I guess...”

Dudley frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Harry replied softly, picking his words carefully, “Many of my supposed friends found out about my lover and turned on me because of who it was.”

Dudley blinked a few times, then scowled. “What a bunch of prats. If my friends had turned on me when they found out I was gay, I’da killed them all.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You’re gay?”

“Yeah. What of it?” Dudley shot back protectively.

Harry’s lips curled up in a smile. “Me too. I wasn’t sure how you’d react to that bit, though.”

Dudley couldn’t help smiling himself. “I know the feeling,” he agreed before his eyes darkened suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Harry inquired, leaning forward in the swing.

“Don’t tell dad. He’s a bit homophobic,” Dudley warned.

Harry nodded in understanding. “Thank you for the warning.”

Dudley nodded and leaned back in his chair. “How about your real friends? You said most turned on you, not all.”

Harry smiled. “I’ve got two really good friends that live in the same town as my lover. Their names are Draco and Blaise. Draco’s got a tongue like a whip and a vocabulary to match,” Harry started, grinning when Dudley laughed at his description. “And Blaise is in love with technology.”

“Technosexual, eh?” Dudley sniggered.

“Yup!” Harry agreed. The two young men traded looks before bursting out into laughter.

-~*~-

Harry’s first impression of his uncle was that he was fat, smelled funny, and had a temper that could surpass even his godfather’s, and _that_ was saying something. The man had thrown his supper plate at Petunia because he thought it tasted funny. Harry was sorely tempted to step in and tell his uncle to leave his aunt alone and that he just didn’t appreciate good food, but Petunia had shot him a sharp look and Dudley had clamped a large hand on top of his shoulder to keep him seated. Dinner had finished in a dark sort of peace and Vernon had ignored him the whole evening.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he stepped under the shower head before bed. The warm water soothed his sore back muscles – he never knew a lack of wings could hurt so much – and he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes to think about his lover. He missed the Demon Lord something awful. Once again, he mentally beat himself up for not being more cautious and moving too slowly.

He couldn’t quite decide which hurt more: the betrayal of his friends, or the fact that it could be years before he’d see Voldemort again.

-~*~-  
December of 2003, Human World  
-~*~-

Harry, Dudley, and Dudley’s boyfriend, Piers Polkiss, were all walking down Oxford Street in London, doing their Christmas shopping. The three young men had been out all morning, but bought very little. Piers’ mother had dropped them off around six and had left them to do what they would, telling them to take the Tube home. The three were discussing stopping at a café for some tea and biscuits when a voice made all of their heads shoot up.

“Harry! By the Demon Lord, it _is_ you!” an auburn-haired young man cried, running up to them.

“Blaise!” Harry grabbed his friend in a hug. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you in for _ever_!”

Blaise grinned. “Your manners are atrocious.”

Harry laughed. “I apologise. Blaise, this is my cousin, Dudley Dursley, and his boyfriend, Piers Polkiss. Piers, Dud, this is my friend, Blaise Zabini.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Dudley offered his hand for a shake while Blaise blinked at Harry in shock.

Finally, Blaise took the offered hand and shook it with a smile before shooting Harry a sharp look. “Since when have you had a cousin?”

“Since before I was born,” Harry replied dryly. “Mum had a sister, don’t you know.”

“I never knew _that_!” Blaise threw his hands up in the air helplessly, making the other three young men laugh.

“Here, Blaise, we were about to get ourselves a spot of tea at a café. Why don’t you come with us?” Harry offered once he’d calmed down.

“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me until I figure out where you’re living right now,” Blaise replied firmly, shaking a finger in Harry’s face. “I like all my body pieces right where they are, thankyouverymuch.”

Harry winced. “Oh, he’s in a temper, isn’t he?”

“Like you’ve never seen,” Blaise agreed as they started off towards a café Dudley claimed had good biscuits.

Harry let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I would have written him a letter, but Albus didn’t tell me where I was headed, just sent me. I suppose I could have told Albus that he had to let him know...”

“Dumbledore?” Blaise snorted. “That man’s a pain-in-the-arse and you know it. He probably wouldn’t deliver the message even if you begged him.”

“Who said anything about begging?” Harry replied evenly.

“Harry, is your lover a real bastard?” Dudley inquired gently as they picked a table.

“Not like Uncle Vernon, but he’s got quite a temper,” Harry replied, knowing Dudley’s real reason for asking. The older of the two cousins truly feared his father and generally tried to keep as many people like the man away from his person as possible. Not that Harry blamed his cousin, of course; he’d like to keep away from people like Vernon as well. The man was dangerous if he got angry at you. It was best to just stay out of his way.

Blaise frowned. “What do you mean, ‘Not like Uncle Vernon’?” he asked in a low voice.

Harry offered his Demon friend a thin smile. “Please don’t mention that to him. The last thing we need is for him to go on a killing spree.”

“Wait,” Dudley cut in, eyes alight with mischief. “Your lover doesn’t have to go on a killing _spree_ , Harry. We’ll hand dad over without a fight.”

Harry let his head drop to the table with a groan while Dudley and Piers laughed. “Guys, it’s not funny.”

Blaise frowned at the two Humans across from him. “Harry’s right. If he finds out that Vernon’s hurting Harry, he’ll kill him,” he said seriously.

Dudley glanced at his cousin warily. Seeing the serious look in his cousin’s normally bright green eyes, he let out a sigh. “Right. It’s just not like Harry to be serious about _anything_.”

“Hey!” Harry cried, head shooting up from the table top.

“I _know_!” Blaise agreed while Piers nodded vigorously.

“ _Hey_!” Harry crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at his friends. “Not funny, you lot.”

Blaise ruffled Harry’s hair with a grin. “Just be glad Draco’s not here.”

Harry groaned.

-~*~-

“Mum, we’re home!” Dudley called as the four young men stepped into the house and peeled off their winter coats. Harry was busy scowling at the slowly melting snow on his new white hat while Blaise snorted at him from behind one hand.

Petunia stepped into the hallway with a smile, which froze on her face when she caught sight of Blaise. The Demon narrowed his eyes dangerously at her startled look. The woman nodded to him cautiously. “Harry, is this your boyfriend?”

Harry blinked at the two of them for a moment before rolling his eyes. “By the Demon Lord!” he shouted, startling everyone into looking at him. “Blaise, this is my aunt, Petunia Dursley. Aunt Petunia, this is one of my best friends from back home, Blaise Zabini. Now would you two _please_ put the old misconceptions away and just make friendly, if only for my sake?”

Dudley scowled. “I’m missing something really big here, aren’t I?”

“Wait, you mean, he doesn’t _know_?” Blaise said, startled.

“Great God...” Harry smacked his forehead. “Blaise, no, he doesn’t know. Dud, yes, you are missing something. Aunt Petunia, don’t you think it’s time you told Dud the truth?”

Petunia pursed her lips in defiance.

Blaise groaned. “In the Demon Lord’s name...” He shot Petunia a sharp look. “Petunia, are you Human?”

The silence in the room was stifling while Petunia fought the direct question, a thing which all Angels were trained to answer. Dudley and Piers didn’t seem to be able to decide who to stare at, Petunia, or Blaise. Harry was just mentally berating himself for letting his Demon friend into the house of his Angel aunt.

“...no...” Petunia whispered, then closed her eyes tightly. “But nor are you.”

Blaise smirked. “Hey, I’ll have you know that I’m proud to be a Demon, ma’am.”

“Woah. Wait.” Dudley held up his hands as if shielding himself from the words Blaise and his mother had just spoken. “Blaise, you say you’re a Demon?”

Harry slammed a hand over Blaise’s mouth before the other could make things worse. “Kitchen. Now,” he ordered. “Blaise, if you make this any worse, I’ll set Voldemort on you for ticking me off.”

“Ooh. Ouch.” Blaise winced, but filed into the kitchen with everyone else and took an empty seat calmly.

Harry frowned at everyone. Petunia looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown, Piers and Dudley looked both confused and annoyed, and Blaise looked like he’d just won the lottery. “Dudley, you’re half-Angel because Aunt Petunia is an Angel, as am I. Blaise is a Demon. I grew up in Heaven and was tossed down here on the Surface because I love a Demon. Blaise resides in Hell. Aunt Petunia grew up in Heaven, but left it when she fell in love with Uncle Vernon.”

Dudley nodded to Harry, then glanced at his mother. “Mum, are you okay?”

Petunia looked up at Dudley. “You’re not mad?” she whispered.

Dudley shrugged. “You had a valid reason for hiding the truth from dad and me, so, no, I’m not mad. However–” he glanced at Harry, –“where are my wings? I thought Angels had wings.”

Harry shrugged. “As far as we know, you don’t have any. Though, chances are, you have other abilities that we’d consider ‘Angelic’. I have noticed that you produce more Pure Magick than, say, Piers, for instance.”

“Harry’s abilities are bound,” Petunia murmured. “If they weren’t, I’d have him check you.”

“Ooh, we could ask his Lordship to test Dud when he visits,” Blaise suggested.

“I will not have the Demon Lord in my house!” Petunia screamed, shooting Blaise a furious look.

Blaise’s eyes widened in shock and he shot Harry a sharp look. Harry let out a deep sigh and dropped into a chair. “I’ve got such a headache right now...”

“Think your system can handle a mild headache brew?” Blaise asked in a worried voice.

“Depends on who made it,” Harry shot back lightly.

Blaise scowled. “I know better than to make brews, thanks. Getting my wings singed once was more than enough,” he growled, passing a small bottle over to his friend. “Draco made it, of course.”

“Oh, good. Getting poisoned once was more than enough for me.” Harry smirked, then downed the brew quickly.

Dudley sniggered at the look on Blaise’s face while Piers laughed outright.

“I’ve never poisoned you before!” Blaise cried indignantly.

“I know.” Harry smiled. “But it’s so much fun to tease you.” He handed the empty bottle back, gaze turning serious. “There’s a nice little kiddy park about a block from here that’s deserted from about eight o’clock onward every night.”

“Got it.” Blaise stood, placing the bottle back into his shirt pocket. “It’s been good seeing you again, Harry, but I’m sensing a drunk Human approaching and I don’t think I want to meet him.”

“Take me with you,” Dudley muttered.

“Take Piers back to his house,” Harry requested, glancing up at the Demon.

“Probably a good idea,” Petunia agreed, standing. “Harry, why don’t you help me with dinner. Dudley, set the table.”

Harry and Dudley stood to do as they were told while Blaise grabbed Piers in a sort of hug. The two disappeared with a faint crack and the three left in the house prepared for Vernon to come in.

-~*~-

The two young men sat in the playground just as they had their first day. Harry was swinging on the swing set, gazing up at the night sky above him silently, thinking about the home he’d left behind. Dudley was sitting peacefully on the park bench, staring down the street as the wind swept over the snow-covered ground. Neither cousin appeared to be cold, despite the chill, and both showed faint marks from Vernon’s fury the night before. He’d been drunk, as always, and angry about the two young men travelling into London without his okay. Dudley sported a black eye and various other bruises, most of which had been covered by his pull-over sweater most of the day. Harry had a split lip and a few hidden bruises himself. He was grateful to Dudley, who’d taken most of the heat from his drunken father, but wished he had his Pure Magick so he could help his cousin out.

 _At least winter holiday’s already started. We won’t have to go in tomorrow and explain how in the Demon Lord’s name we got smacked around **this** time to our friends._ Harry sighed, closing his eyes.

“It’s eight-thirty,” Dudley murmured, breaking the silence.

“I know.” Harry nodded, turning his gaze to his cousin.

“Next thing you’re going to tell me is that you have a magical, internal clock that makes sure you always know what time it is,” Dudley teased and attempted a smile, but the smile looked like a grimace because of his eye and Harry had to look away again. He turned his gaze back up to the sky and smiled as he caught sight of pitch black wings.

“There’s something we haven’t seen in many moons,” Voldemort said, settling down on the swing next to Harry, his wings folding against his back, though not disappearing totally. He was wearing black jeans and a tight black shirt with no sleeves.

“Aren’t you cold?” Dudley inquired, leaning forward to get a better look at this man.

Voldemort frowned thoughtfully. “No, not really. Hell is _much_ colder than this place,” he said after a moment of silence. “You are Dudley Dursley?”

“Yes. And I’m assuming you’re the infamous Demon Lord Voldemort.”

“We are,” the Demon Lord agreed before cocking his head to one side curiously. “Why have you come?”

“I wanted to meet my cousin’s lover, of course,” Dudley replied easily.

Voldemort shook his head, an amused smile flitting over his lips, before he turned to Harry. “Why did he–“ He froze, eyes narrowing. Before Harry could move, the Demon had his chin in one hand and was inspecting the split lip. Blazing red eyes met sullen green. “Who?” Voldemort demanded.

Harry swallowed hard and shook his head, gently tugging free from his lover’s grasp. “Let it be, Voldemort. It’s not important,” he murmured.

“It _is_ important!” the Demon Lord hissed furiously. “You have been hurt. So has your cousin.” His eyes narrowed at the black eye. “We do not sense anger between you two. This was done by another. Tell us who.”

Harry’s lips pursed stubbornly. “You’re going to stay out of this,” he replied.

“What if we promise not to kill them, just maim them a little?” Voldemort pressed.

Green eyes blazed with suppressed power. “No.”

The Demon Lord let out an aggravated sigh. “You’re trying our patience.”

“You have no patience,” Harry replied with a small smile. “Voldemort, could you take me flying?”

Curious red eyes glanced around at the young Angel, anger left to the side for the moment. He knew getting angry at Harry would get him nowhere. “You are a strange Angel, Harry.”

“You always say that,” Harry agreed.

Voldemort nodded in acquiescence and he glanced at Dudley. “And you?”

Dudley offered him a faint smile. “I doubt you could take me very far, Demon Lord.”

“You underestimate our abilities,” the Demon Lord replied, standing. “Think on our offer. Harry?”

Harry stood and let his lover wrap him in his embrace from behind. Voldemort unfurled his wings, then let the wind draw them both upwards. Harry closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the experience, ignoring the pain from a particularly bad bruise on his side, which his lover had unknowingly rested his arm on. _Oh, Great God, I really needed this..._ Harry sighed to himself, not quite sure whether it was the closeness of his lover or the feeling of flying that he’d missed so much, and not quite caring, either.

When Voldemort touched the ground again, he allowed Harry a few moments to catch up with himself before he let go. “Better?”

Harry smiled at the Demon Lord. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Voldemort glanced at Dudley, who had stood at one point or another. “Coming?”

Dudley glanced nervously at Harry, who offered him a warm smile, before nodding at the tall Demon. “I suppose.”

Voldemort nodded and stepped up behind the half-Angel, wrapping him in a backwards hug. “If you want down, you should tell us and we will put you down immediately,” he offered. Once Dudley had nodded in agreement, Voldemort spread his wings and, once again, allowed himself and his passenger to be lifted up into the air.

Harry smiled as Dudley let out a pleased laugh. His cousin’s Angel blood showed through at long last in his love of flight. Harry let himself laugh along with Dudley as the slightly older man ordered the Demon Lord to go higher. If Voldemort minded, he said nothing, just flew higher up. Harry caught sight of a faint smile on his lover’s face. _He’s far too nice for his own good,_ he decided with a laugh.

When the Demon Lord finally settled on the ground again with Dudley, Harry had returned to his swing and was swinging back and forth gently. “That was brilliant,” Dudley whispered in awe as he retook his seat on the bench.

Harry smiled. “Yes.” He glanced at Voldemort, who was watching him oddly. “Voldemort, I was wondering if you could see what sorts of abilities Dud has? He’s a half-Angel and we’re wondering what he’s got in lieu of his wings.”

The Demon Lord nodded and turned to look at Dudley. The young half-Angel twitched in his seat under the intense scarlet eyes for a long moment until Voldemort looked back at Harry. “Aura, speech, memory, and Shifting, from what we can see. He may have other gifts that we cannot detect, of course...”

Harry nodded. “Yes, thank you.” He smiled at Dudley. “I’ll see if Aunt Petunia and I can work on teaching you how to work at least your Aura ability during the break, I suppose.”

“I’d like that,” Dudley decided, standing to stretch. “I’m headed for home,” he said easily before shooting the Demon Lord a warning look. “If Harry gets hurt, I don’t care who you are, I’ll smack you silly,” he added in a cold voice before turning and leaving the playground with a cheerful wave.

Voldemort watched Dudley leave with a bemused smile. “Bit protective, eh?”

“Yeah.” Harry scratched at the back of his head. “I wish he wouldn’t keep getting hurt for me, though.”

The Demon Lord settled on the swing next to Harry with a sigh. “You’re bound and determined to not tell me, aren’t you?”

Harry smiled at the Demon’s use of the singular pronoun and shook his head. “I’m glad you two are getting along so well. Aunt Petunia nearly had a heart attack when Blaise mentioned that you might want to visit.”

“You and I both know Angels grow up fearing what I might do to them,” Voldemort replied, glancing up at the stars. “I talked to Dumbledore before coming here.”

“That’s what took you so long!”

“Yes.”

“So, what did he say?”

Voldemort picked at one of his wings gently, fixing a few twisted feathers. “He’s having trouble with the Council. They don’t want an Angel in Heaven who’s intimately involved with a Demon. It’s a damn good thing they don’t know which Demon I am, of course...”

“Then I’d just have been killed,” Harry agreed bitterly.

“Neither I nor Dumbledore would have allowed that, Harry, and I know Minerva, Filius, Remus, and Sirius would have stood by you as well,” Voldemort offered his bitter lover a smile. “They’ve been worried about you, by the way.”

“Understandably so,” Harry decided. “They’ve no clue what it’s like on the Surface.”

“Nor did you.” The Demon Lord’s smile turned sad. “How is it? Besides your mystery assailant, of course.”

Harry’s lips twitched. “I like it here. It’s not the same as staying in Hell or living in Heaven, but it is nice in its own way.” His eyes lit up suddenly. “And I have a _job_! I get paid and help pay for expenses and can buy myself and some friends lunch if I want!”

Voldemort chuckled. “What do you do at this job?”

“I’m an assistant for Aunt Petunia. She teaches history at the college near here.”

Voldemort nodded. “It’s good training for you, then.” He reached over and stroked a hand over Harry’s cheek gently, smiling when the Angel’s eyes closed, content. “You really enjoy it here?”

Harry’s smile turned sad. “I miss you. I miss being able to fly. I hate feeling powerless!” He kicked at the ground beneath him, sending muddy snow flying across the dirty ground.

The Demon Lord stood and drew Harry up for a gentle hug. “My poor little Angel...” he murmured, stroking Harry’s crazy hair soothingly. He let his wings fold around them and smiled faintly as he felt Harry snuggle against his chest. “No sleeping on me, dear Angel. I don’t believe your aunt would be too pleased if I had to carry you to home.”

Harry tensed, mind awakening at the reminder of his uncle, who was possibly awaiting him at the house. “No, she wouldn’t,” he agreed mutely.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes and forced Harry to look at him. “Is Petunia the one hurting you?” he demanded sharply.

“What?!” Harry’s eyes widened in shock. “No! Heavens above, Voldemort! She’d never hurt me! She’s an _Angel_.”

“Terry Boot was an Angel too,” the Demon Lord replied coldly. “And so are the Weasleys. Look at all these Angels who have hurt you!”

Harry rested a hand on the Demon’s cheek sadly. “Yes, that’s true, I suppose. There are exceptions, but Aunt Petunia is not one of them. Believe me on this much.”

Voldemort sighed. “Very well...” His eyes glinted with a touch of amusement suddenly and Harry was struck for the millionth time since they’d met six years ago by the Demon Lord’s ability to mask his emotions at the drop of a hat. “I really miss my Angel who couldn’t lie, you know.”

Harry smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” the Demon responded before catching Harry’s mouth in a kiss, to keep the Angel from responding to the challenge. As he slipped his tongue into Harry’s mouth to caress his lover’s tongue lovingly, Voldemort focussed his Magick on healing the Angel’s lip. He knew it wasn’t, technically speaking, possible for him to heal things, but when had _he_ ever paid attention to what wasn’t supposed to be possible?

Harry tugged away with a gasp as he felt his lip tingle with Healing Magick. He reached up and felt his lip carefully before meeting amused scarlet eyes with shocked green eyes. “How...?”

Voldemort ran gentle fingers through the Angel’s hair. “I twisted reality. You don’t live for sixty years without learning a thing or two about Magick.”

Harry shook his head with an amused smile. “And you called _me_ foolish.”

“Breaks are harder to heal than split lips, especially ones as old as that,” the Demon Lord replied with a touch of laughter in his voice. “Anyway, I wasn’t using Pure Magick, I was using Evile Magick.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I still don’t understand how you managed that, but, hey, what the Hell!”

“Speaking of.” Voldemort became suddenly serious. “We should make a date for you to come visit Hell. I know many of my Demons would like to see you again.”

“We both know I’m forbidden fr–“

“You are forbidden from Heaven. Hell has its own rules. Consider this our formal invitation, if you must,” the Demon Lord murmured.

“I’ll see.” Harry sighed.

“Harry, please,” Voldemort whispered, scarlet eyes pleading. “I want you there for just one day, lest I go insane.”

Harry felt the last of his resolve to not give the Council any other reasons to ban him from his home crumble to dust. It _was_ a formal invitation, after all. “I’ll have to find a good time, but I promise it’ll be soon,” he said softly.

The Demon Lord gave his younger lover a chaste kiss. “Thank you.”

Harry just smiled and buried his face in Voldemort’s chest again, letting the familiar cold scent surround him.

Voldemort chuckled and kissed the top of Harry’s head. “Do you want my shirt?” he teased.

“Sure. I can sniff it before I go to sleep and everything,” Harry replied brightly, placing a kiss on Voldemort’s jaw.

The Demon Lord smiled down at him before retracting his wings completely so he could walk around the streets without being detected as anything other than a Human. “Come. I’ll walk you back to your home so I know you’ve returned safe.” Harry nodded and allowed his lover to take his hand before he took the lead. “Shall I keep visiting in the evening?”

“Sure. If you can, of course. And I’ll come if I can,” Harry decided. “I’ll tell you tomorrow when a good time for me to visit would be.”

“Wonderful.” Voldemort came to a stop just in sight of the house. “Stay safe, my Angel.”

“You too, my Demon,” Harry murmured in response before kissing the Demon Lord’s cheek and hurrying towards his house.

Once he was sure Harry was inside, Voldemort let out a deep sigh and concentrated on his Amulet to send him home.

-~*~-

Harry woke the next morning from peaceful dreams, a smile touching his lips. All joy disappeared, though, when he heard shouts from downstairs. He dashed from his room and down the stairs, slowing down to peek into the kitchen. The sight he found made his blood run cold:

Vernon towered over Dudley, who was blocking an unconscious Petunia from any more blows. The smaller man was sporting another black eye, to accompany the one he already had, and a bleeding slash on one shoulder. Vernon was holding a kitchen knife in one meaty fist, blood trailing down the blade in thinning red rivers.

Harry forced himself to look around the rest of the kitchen, since his uncle and cousin seemed to be at a stand-still for the moment, and there wasn’t really anything he could do, anyway. He saw three bottles of beer on the table, only one of them still had a little beer in it, the other two were empty. A plate had been smashed to the ground next to Vernon’s usual seat, bacon and eggs scattered across the floor like some sick form of modern art. The man’s chair was tipped over on its back; one of the chair’s legs had cracked off and flown into the wall near the doorway Harry stood in.

The Angel narrowed his eyes at the broken leg, then turned to gaze at his uncle’s drunken form. The man was swaying slightly. _Ooh, lucky day!_ Harry said to himself with a grim smile before he slid into the kitchen to pick up the broken chair leg. Hefting it in both hands, he crept up behind his uncle silently, noting that Dudley saw him, then quickly turned his gaze from him, to keep Vernon from noticing. Harry took a deep breath and, with strength few people realised he had, slammed the chair leg into the side of Vernon’s head before scampering out of the way.

Vernon let out a groan before falling backwards, out cold long before he hit the floor, which trembled upon impact.

Harry and Dudley traded looks over their unconscious relative. “Well,” Dudley said in a rasping voice, “looks like we’ve solved _that_ problem for the moment.”

“He’s gonna kill me when he wakes up, though,” Harry agreed, letting the piece of wood he’d used fall to the ground and roll under the table, as if hiding from Vernon’s anger itself. “Let’s see what we can do about that arm of yours.”

“Mum first,” Dudley replied, turning to pick up his mother.

Harry nodded and led the way up to the full bath, grabbing the first-aid kit from the hall closet on the way. He set up on the sink while Dudley set Petunia down on the toilet. “Best wake her up, then.” Harry sighed. “We don’t know if she has a concussion, after all.”

“Yeah. I didn’t _see_ her hit her head, but it’s possible,” Dudley agreed, then gently shook Petunia’s shoulder. “Mum. Mum, you need to wake up.”

Harry got a flannel wet and handed it to Dudley, who used it to bathe Petunia’s face gently. With a moan, the woman’s eyes fluttered open. “Dudley? Harry?” she murmured, blinking at them both.

“Hey there, Aunt Petunia.” Harry smiled. “I need to know what hurts so we can try and fix it.”

Petunia nodded and ran off a list of various hurts. Most were bruises and, luckily enough, nothing near her head, though she, like Dudley, has faced the knife Vernon had wielded. As was true with many Angels, the sight of her own blood had caused her to faint. Harry and Dudley worked together to bandage the slash on Petunia’s thigh, refusing to let her help, lest she faint again. Then Dudley let Harry bandage his shoulder while Petunia went to her room to change.

Harry and Dudley both separated to change themselves. When they all met back up in the hallway, Petunia suggested going out to eat. The cousins traded looks before both nodding their agreement.

It wasn’t until they were seated in a pub in town that Dudley finally noticed the disappearance of Harry’s split-lip. “Harry, your lip...”

Harry blinked, then ran a finger over his lip gently. “He fixed it last night,” he said with a shrug.

“Of course.” Dudley nodded slowly before taking a sip of his orange juice.

Petunia was giving Harry a strange look, but before Harry could inquire as to the reason, their food arrived. With a sigh, Harry decided to ask later and dug in.

-~*~-

Petunia watched Harry and Dudley skip down the street together as they headed over to the cinema for a film, her treat. She hadn’t been sure the two would get along before they met, and thought it would be impossible after seeing their original reactions to one another. However, the two had surprised her by coming home from their walk that first evening smiling. They’d come to an understanding of some sort while they’d been out, and their friendship had only grown as the months went by.

Petunia had often worried about how Dudley would react to things, even going so far as to panic the first time she’d mentioned that Harry looked lonely without his boyfriend around while Dudley was in the room. That day, she’d realised exactly how little she knew about her son when he’d mentioned that he’d been dating Piers for three years.

Once again, Dudley had shocked her when he didn’t react violently to the truth about his ancestry. He also seemed perfectly acceptable to the notion that his cousin was in love with a Demon while he, himself, was an Angel. She’d mulled over the whole meeting for the next day, not missing the fact that Dudley had seemed to become even more protective of his smaller cousin when he realised that the other was a full-blooded Angel whose only crime was falling in love. Dudley had even gone so far as to follow Harry to the park the next night to meet the Demon Blaise had said he’d send.

Petunia had been curious that night and wanted to know who they’d planned on meeting. She waited until Vernon had gone to bed before, pulling out an old charm she still had to mask her presence, she had hurried after her son and nephew. She’d arrived there only a little before the Demon Lord and had almost ran in there and dragged Harry and Dudley away when Voldemort had appeared. It was only the ease of the three that had kept her from doing anything stupid. The knowledge that _Voldemort_ was Harry’s lover had shocked her something awful, though she knew she should have expected it; if it had been any other Demon, her nephew would have used their name when he spoke of them.

She had stayed long after Voldemort had walked Harry home, thinking about what she’d just witnessed quietly. She’d continued to think about it for the rest of the night and even up to the very moment Vernon had started in on her again because of her cooking. Now, watching Harry and Dudley joke around, even after their ordeal that morning, she came to a conclusion: Voldemort was the Demon Lord, yes, but he _did_ love Harry and cared for him so much that he’d go against every single Demon and Angel out there to spend time with the God-to-be. If he wanted Harry to visit him in Hell, then who was she to stand in the way? At least it would get one of them out of the war path Vernon got into on every Christmas.

-~*~-

Harry wandered down the street to the park with a smile on his face. Vernon had been _pissed_ when he found out that, not only had Petunia taken her nephew and son out for breakfast and a film, but it had been _Harry_ who’d knocked him out with the chair leg. ‘Little wimpy Harry,’ he’d often called the Angel, but Harry had gone and proved to him just how ‘wimpy’ he was when he’d got in the man’s face before Vernon could do any more damage and told him exactly what he thought of the drunk. In a daze, Vernon had taken the car out to the bar and hadn’t returned the whole evening, leaving Dudley, Petunia, and Harry in peace.

Harry let himself sit in his usual swing and gently started it’s movement, lost in his thoughts. Petunia had said he could visit his lover whenever he liked, even if it meant he was gone for the whole day. He had a feeling that she’d just wanted him away from the house, in case Vernon lost his temper again, especially when she’d commented that Dudley was welcome to spend the whole day at Piers’, if he’d like.

“Well, well, what have we here?”

Harry’s eyes flew open, then widened in horror. Before him stood Vernon, eyes bloodshot from far too much alcohol. “Oh, Heavens...” Harry quickly got out of the swing, getting it between himself and his uncle.

Vernon’s smile widened. “What’s wrong, you little wimp? I thought you were brave!” He threw his head back and laughed.

Harry started walking backwards slowly, as if he were faced with a rabid dog, rather than his uncle. “I _am_ brave, you monster, but I’m not stupid. Unlike _you_ , of course,” he added recklessly.

Vernon’s eyes narrowed and he started towards Harry, tossing the swing out of his way carelessly. “I’ll show you stupid, you little shit.”

Harry’s back ran into the fence that surrounded the playground and he froze, watching his uncle in terror. _He’s going to kill me. Hells and Heavens!_ He slammed his eyes shut and threw his hands up – to offer his face at least _some_ protection – as the man stepped into his personal space.

A shout in Demonic threw Vernon into the swing set and the man fell to the ground in a heap. His eyes widened at the scarlet-eyed man who settled between himself and Harry, wings flared about him angrily. “What the fuck?!” Vernon shouted, standing unsteadily.

Voldemort’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You dare touch Harry with the intention of harming him, Human? You don’t have the _right_ to touch what is ours!” the Demon Lord growled in an icy voice.

Vernon shuddered in horror even as he forced himself to his feet. “Who the fuck are you?” he spat, anger dwindling under the force of the fear this creature induced. Vernon Dursley truly could not recall ever being this afraid of another being in his entire life.

“We?” One black eyebrow raised slightly. “We are the Demon Lord. Although, we do believe you Humans like to refer to us as the Devil,” Voldemort replied, smirking in satisfaction when the man before him crumbled to his knees in terror.

Harry slipped under one of his lover’s wings carefully and tugged on his arm. “Voldemort, stop.”

Red eyes looked down at Harry with a touch of shock. “Harry, he was about to–“

“I’m well aware of what he had planned,” Harry replied wearily. “I thought I told you yesterday that I wouldn’t have you killing Humans.”

“We told you we wouldn’t. We were just going to–“

“Maim him a little. Yes, I know.” Harry rolled his eyes. “But, when he gets better, he’ll take it out on _us_.”

“Us who?” Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the pitiful Human on the ground in front of them. “Your cousin and aunt as well?”

“Yes,” Harry agreed with a helpless sigh. “Look, that’s my uncle, Vernon–“

“Dumbledore left you with _this_ monster?!” the Demon Lord shouted. “Oh, he and we are going to have words about this...”

“You will not!” Harry shot back. “ _You_ are going to leave well enough alone.”

Scarlet met green as the Demon Lord’s black wings disappeared. “We are going back to your house and you, your aunt, and cousin are staying in Hell.”

“Voldemort–“

“If you argue with us, we’ll knock you out, then _drag_ you home.”

Harry sighed and nodded in agreement, not really having any other option. “What about Uncle Vernon?”

“He can stay here,” Voldemort replied in a cold tone.

Harry rolled his eyes. “And freeze?”

“Or we could bring him with us and toss him into the Flamed Pit of Damnation,” the Demon added in a pleased tone.

“I forgot who I was talking to.” Harry groaned, taking the Demon Lord’s hand. “Fine, leave him. The last thing I need is the Council blaming me for the death of a Human.”

“Even if he deserves it?” Voldemort inquired, leading the way around the Human on the ground and out of the playground. Vernon appeared to be plenty happy to just lie like a sack of potatoes not worth anyone’s time.

“You’re forgetting which Council you’re talking about. The Angelic Council doesn’t allow for ‘deserved it’s,” Harry replied dryly.

“Oh, yes, the bunch of fools don’t allow for much of anything. Even killing in Cherubic Uprisings is frowned down upon. We, of course, think the little buggers should be shot on sight...”

“Which is why you were forced to Fall, as you’ll recall,” Harry replied with a smile.

“Pish.”

Harry rolled his eyes and pushed the door to the house open. “Aunt Petunia? Dud?”

“We’re in the kitchen, Harry,” Petunia called.

Voldemort squeezed Harry’s hand gently. The Angel smiled faintly, then led his lover into the kitchen. “Uhm, Aunt Petunia, I kind of brought a friend...”

Petunia glanced up at the Demon Lord and narrowed her eyes. “Is there any reason why Voldemort is in my house?”

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Voldemort spoke first. “Yes, actually. We are taking you three to Hell until we find a way to deal with your husband.”

Dudley startled. “Harry, what happened?”

“Eh? Oh, Uncle Vernon kinda found me at the playground.”

“I knew I should have gone with you!”

“Did he hurt you?” Petunia whispered in concern.

“No.” Harry smiled. “Voldemort stopped him.”

Petunia glanced up at the Demon Lord, getting a good look at him for the first time in her life. He had short black hair that fell about in an elegant manner, though it still managed to remind her of Harry’s hair. His face was long and angular, seeming to fit his personality to a tee. He was thin, though muscular, as could be seen from his uncovered arms. Petunia could see now how one might find this dangerous man to be beautiful.

Voldemort cocked an eyebrow at the sharp gaze. “You’ll all need to pack things to bring with us.” He nodded to Dudley. “Pack warm. You’re not used to the chill of our lands.”

“And are you?” Dudley challenged in a friendly manner.

“I’ve seen him walk around in Hell naked.” Harry snorted. “I truly believe nothing’s too cold for him.”

“Away, you scamp,” Voldemort growled with a smile. “Gather your things. We must go collect more Amulets.”

“Voldemort,” Harry said, suddenly realising something. “I’m bound. I can’t use the Amulets.”

“We will take you,” the Demon Lord said firmly. “Go collect your things, all of you. We will return shortly.” He disappeared silently.

“Didn’t Blaise disappear with a ‘crack’ or something?” Dudley asked as the three relatives started up to their rooms.

“Yes.” Harry nodded. “The Amulets generally make noise. The stronger one is, the less noise it makes, but you have to concentrate on making it silent for it to work.”

“How loud are they?” Petunia inquired.

“Let’s just say you could hear it even from outside of the house,” Harry suggested. “They are much louder than you think they’d be.”

Petunia nodded. “How much can the Amulets carry?”

Harry shrugged. “No clue. I’ve never tested their limits, though I’d bet quite a bit. I’ve seen one Amulet transport four full-grown Demons all at once in the past. You should be able to take at least three big suitcases, and Dud should be able to take at least two, I’m thinking.”

“Right.” Dudley nodded, then turned and marched into his room.

With a sigh, Harry walked into his own room and pulled out his bag from the college. Into it, he threw five changes of clothing and his deodorant. He set it on his bed, then pulled out an old duffle bag that Dudley had lent him one day when he mentioned he’d like to go to the college gym. Into the duffle bag, he threw his books for the class he was helping his aunt with, the books he’d borrowed from the college’s library, and the gifts for his aunt and cousin. Once done with all that, he set the duffle next to his other bag before ducking under his bed to drag out the box with his Angel things.

“You kept them,” Voldemort murmured, stepping into the room.

“An Angel always keeps his robes,” Harry agreed, placing the box on his bed with his two bags before turning to smile at his lover. “And Amulets from their Demonic aunts, of course.”

Voldemort laughed at that. He recalled learning almost a year after Harry’s first time in Hell that Narcissa Malfoy had been borrowing Lucius’ or Draco’s Surface Amulets rather than ask him for a new one, since she’d given hers to Harry so he could return home, and then never asked for it back. “Yes. But, as we recall, you’ve worn that ever since she gave it to you. Even to bed.”

Harry scowled. “Yes. But I haven’t worn it here.”

“We wouldn’t expect you to,” The Demon Lord replied gently. “Your aunt and cousin are ready to leave. Coming?”

Harry grabbed his bags and threw them each over a shoulder before picking up his box. “Yup.” He smiled and walked from his room.

“What’s in the box?” Dudley asked. He and Petunia were standing in the upstairs hallway, each with the amount of bags Harry had suggested, as well as an Amulet around each of their necks.

“My robes.” Harry shrugged, hugging the box to his chest.

Petunia smiled and nodded to the bag on her back. “Ditto.”

Voldemort snorted. “Angels.”

Harry and Petunia traded winks before Harry spoke. “Are we all ready, then?”

“Yes.” Voldemort stepped up behind the green-eyed young man. “We will need our hands free,” he added, motioning for both Dudley and Petunia to take his hands. Harry nodded in understanding and wrapped an arm around the Demon Lord’s waist, burying his face against the man’s chest, his box trapped between them safely.

With a faint crack, the four disappeared.

-~*~-

Harry and Dudley had no problem adapting to Demon life and, though she was extremely jumpy, Petunia adapted remarkably well for being a full-grown Angel with little previous experience with Demons, since she’d lived most of her life on the Surface.

It was a day like any other in Hell when everything fell apart. As usual, Harry was helping Draco with his rounds of the royal city while Dudley helped Blaise with figuring out how Human technology _really_ worked. Petunia was helping Narcissa, who had been her best friend at the Angelic Academy, with her secretary job in the palace. Petunia had unbound her wings on her second day in Hell, so the white of her wings stood out against the shadowy chill surrounding her.

“Petunia Evans?!” a voice called in surprise.

Petunia spun around, wings flaring to keep her balance. “Molly Prewett. Imagine meeting you here,” she replied dryly.

“What do you want, Prewett?” Narcissa snapped. “Angels aren’t welcome down here unless they’ve been invited by the Demon Lord. You know that.”

“I’ve been sent to see Voldemort on account of the Angelic Council,” Molly replied coldly.

“The Council can stic–“

“Narcissa,” Voldemort murmured, stepping from his office. He knew when an Angel entered his lands; it was something all Demon Lords learned. “What does _your_ Council want of _us_?” he added coldly, looking at the Angel before him with a dangerously chilly gaze.

Molly Prewett Weasley drew herself us to her full height. “The Council is making an inquiry about the Human Harry James Potter. It is believed he is on your lands.”

“There are no Humans down here except their damned souls,” Voldemort replied, eyes narrowing. “Tell your Council not to waste our time.”

Molly’s gaze darkened. “Really? Then why is his guardian down here?”

“Am I not allowed to visit with my old friend?” Petunia shot back evenly.

“You picked to live in the Human World, you need to stay there,” Molly replied nastily. “Note that the Council will hear about all this.”

“The Council needs to go fight in their own damned Cherubic Uprisings and stop telling everyone else what they need to do,” a cold voice said from the doorway to the room. Voldemort let out a quiet groan at the sight of Harry and Draco. The green-eyed Angel looked furious. “God is supposed to run Heaven, not a bunch of idiots who have never risked their necks for anything. The original God would be horrified to learn what our lands have become.”

“Heaven is not your land, Potter,” Molly snapped.

“It’s more mine than yours,” the God-to-be replied evenly, which seemed to shock Molly into silence. “Tell the Council to stick their laws up their bums and leave me the Hell alone, unless they finally get some brains and allow me back in.”

“The Council was right to bind you!” Molly screamed. “You’re turning into a Demon already!”

“I’m merely looking at the world as a whole, rather than what’s right in front of my nose,” Harry said by way of a response. “Get out of Hell, Madame Weasley. You hardly belong here.”

“I hope you rot here, Human,” Molly replied nastily before disappearing with a sharp ‘crack’.

Harry stared at where the woman had been standing numbly. _Human? Is that what they classify me as now? A Human?_

“Harry?” Voldemort asked, concern flitting through his voice.

Without a word, Harry ran across the room, tossed himself into his lover’s arms, and clung to the Demon. _I’m an Angel, dammit! I’m no Human!_

The Demon Lord lifted Harry gently and rested the Angel against his chest. “Narcissa, you are free to go.”

Narcissa nodded as she stood. “I thank you, Lord. Petunia, would you like to come over for dinner? I’m sure Lucius wouldn’t mind an extra guest.”

“I would,” Petunia agreed.

“Very well. Come on, Draco. You can help us with the rice.”

Draco nodded to his mother, then glanced at where Harry clutched at Voldemort like the Demon Lord was the only stable thing in his world. _The Lord probably **is** the only stable thing right now,_ Draco realized glumly. “Good evening, Harry, Lord.”

“Good evening, Draco,” Voldemort agreed.

Draco bit his lip thoughtfully before he spoke. “Harry, take it from someone who knows you better than Molly Weasley: you’re no Human. You’re an Angel, through and through. Nothing those fools in the Angelic Council says could ever change that.”

Harry peeked around at his friend, a sad smile on his lips. “Thanks, Draco.”

Draco just nodded to the two lovers before turning and starting home. He knew he was right. Harry was an Angel. That’s all there was to it.

-~*~-

Sweat mingled between them as Harry gently lowered himself onto the Demon Lord. Voldemort closed his eyes and let out a soft moan at the feeling of the tight warmth around him, once again acknowledging that this was all the warmth he needed any more. Just knowing Harry loved him kept him warm in his world of ice.

Harry frowned at the contemplative look on his lover’s face. He wished he knew what Voldemort was thinking, but he knew the Demon Lord wouldn’t tell him unless he wanted him to know. So, instead of asking, Harry slid upwards on the shaft he’d impaled himself on just enough to almost disconnect before slamming back down sharply. He smirked when the Demon Lord cocked an eyebrow at him inquisitively. It had annoyed him, at first, that Voldemort never lost his head during sex, but he’d quickly learned to get used to it. “You’re not paying attention.”

“Ah, but my thoughts were on you, little Angel,” Voldemort teased, reaching up to run a finger over his young lover’s lower lip. He smiled as Harry sucked the digit into his mouth. “Well, are you planning on staying like that all night?”

“Yesh,” Harry agreed around the Demon Lord’s finger.

Voldemort chuckled and used the finger in Harry’s mouth to drag the young man down to him. He devoured Harry’s mouth with his own as Harry started moving on him again, making the most delicious sounds every time his prostate was hit.

The Demon Lord slid a hand between them and grasped Harry’s cock gently. He started stroking the Angel’s hardness, smiling at the mewling sounds that were pulled from Harry’s throat at the attention. Voldemort tugged away from Harry’s mouth and gazed into his eyes. “Come for me, my Angel,” he whispered soothingly.

Harry threw his head back and came into Voldemort’s hand with a scream of pleasure. The sound went straight to his cock and, with a hiss, Voldemort spurted his seed into Harry’s arse.

Spent, Harry gave himself a few moments to catch his breath before pulling himself off the Demon. He laid his head against Voldemort’s chest with a sigh and smiled when black wings encased them both, protecting them from Hell’s chill.

“What’s on your mind, little one?” Voldemort inquired when he didn’t feel Harry’s breath even out in sleep like it usually did.

“Madame Weasley’s words, the Council’s decision, Draco’s words...” Harry shrugged, unconsciously tightening his grip on the man below him.

“Draco was the only one out of those three that was making any sense today,” Voldemort murmured, running his fingers through Harry’s sweaty hair soothingly. “Calling you a Human is a foolish notion. You’re more an Angel than any of them.”

“I don’t like the idea of being classified as one.” Harry sighed. “Especially without my wings.”

“Cut a little too close to home, hm?” the Demon Lord said knowingly.

“Yeah.” Harry nuzzled his lover’s chest. “I miss my wings.”

“Oh, Harry...” Voldemort tightened his arms around the Angel and kissed the top of his head. “You’ll get them back.”

“I know...” Harry closed his eyes sadly. “I want to fly again, without your help. I miss flying without any help.” He bit his lip against tears. “I hate being bound.”

Having nothing to say to that, Voldemort just kissed the top of Harry’s head again. “I’m sorry, love,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

Harry nodded his head jerkily and settled down to sleep. There was nothing that could be done about it now.

Voldemort, on the other hand, made a mental note to visit Blaise in the morning. He knew the Human’s holiday of Christmas was coming up in only a few days time. If they could make Harry wings...

-~*~-

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold on the Surface. In Hell, Petunia, Dudley, and Harry all met up in Petunia’s room to exchange gifts. The young men had already exchanged gifts with their Demon friends, since both Blaise and Draco were to spend the day with their parents. Christmas wasn’t as widely popular in Hell as it was in Heaven, though some families did exchange gifts and take the day off from their jobs and classes.

Dudley and Harry gave each other watches that both had mulled over, then joked about getting for one another. It seemed that neither had been joking about it and both laughed.

For Petunia the young men had bought a jewellery set made out of silver that had wings on it. Petunia fingered the necklace’s charm for a long moment before smiling at both of them and handing them each a small box.

Inside the boxes were two silver bands. Harry’s eyes widened in recognition and he looked up at his aunt in shock. “Family rings?”

Petunia nodded in agreement and Dudley leaned forward in interest. “What are they?”

“In Heaven, when two Angels marry, they make a ring that they feel matches their love for one another. It’s a bit like the Human practise of trading rings to bind themselves together. However, Angels don’t make the rings until after the marriage, then both wear them until the day they die,” Petunia explained.

“Then, how did these come about? Dad’s not an Angel,” Dudley asked.

“I made them and kept his in a box in my room. I wear mine on a necklace,” Petunia replied, pulling out the chain to show them.

“Okay. Why give them to us?” Dudley inquired.

“Family rings are given to each child of the Angel couple when they reach majority,” Harry explained. “Mine is in my room with my Angel robes. They’re supposed to be a sign of family. When you marry, you take on the ring of your new family, but most Angels keep their old ones, either on a chain or in a safe place.”

“Why aren’t you wearing yours?” Dudley had to know, even as he slipped his new ring on.

Harry smiled bitterly. “My parents are dead. I no longer have a family, so I no longer wear it.”

“Well you have a family now. Put the ring on,” Petunia ordered, ruffling Harry’s hair fondly.

Harry nodded and put the ring on, biting his lip to keep back tears. “Thanks, Aunt Petunia.”

“Of course, Harry.” Petunia drew her nephew into a hug, rocking him gently from side-to-side and giving him the chance to cry if he needed to without anyone the wiser.

Dudley smiled at his mother and cousin before getting up to throw the wrapping paper into the small fire in their room. A thought occurred to him rather suddenly as he watched the paper burn and he asked it aloud. “What about Demons? Do they have some sort of ceremony for marriage?”

“Of course we do,” Voldemort said from the doorway as he stepped into the room with a pile of gifts. “We do pretty much the same thing as Angels, except that we make our rings the day _of_ the wedding, rather than a few days _after_ it.”

“Oh...” Dudley scratched the back of his head thoughtfully and sat back down on the carpet. The Demon Lord also settled himself on the carpet. “I didn’t think to get anything for you,” Dudley said suddenly, looking at the scarlet-eyed Demon.

“We didn’t expect anything,” Voldemort assured him. “We don’t normally celebrate Christmas, actually, but we thought it might be nice, since we have a few in our home that _do_.” He slid a box to Dudley. “Go on, then.”

Dudley smiled and pulled the paper off the box. Opening it, he grinned widely. “Wicked! A book on Shifting! Thanks, Voldemort!”

The Demon Lord smiled and handed a very small box over to Petunia. “Petunia, here you are.”

Petunia nodded and opened the gift, smiling gratefully when she found an Amulet within, especially since Voldemort had been required to take the two Amulets he’d lent them to get into Hell back, since they weren’t Demons and there was paperwork for them to be handed over to Angels. “Thank you very much, your Lordship.”

Voldemort snorted at the title. “Of course. Harry, here you are.” He slid a small box over to the young Angel and smiled as Harry eyed it warily. “What’s that look for?”

Harry shrugged. “I never know what crazy thing you’ll do this time,” he explained. While the others laughed, he pulled the box open, frowning when all he found was a small bracelet. “What’s this? I mean, it’s lovely and all, but, what is it?”

“Put it on,” Voldemort said by way of response.

With an annoyed scowl, Harry put the bracelet on. When nothing happened, his scowled deepened. “ _Well_?”

“Stand up, then imagine you’re flying,” the Demon Lord suggested in an off-handed manner.

 _I’m going to look really, really foolish, I just know it._ Harry sighed to himself as he stood. Closing his eyes, he imagined he was floating a foot in the air.

Petunia gave a screech. “By the Great God!” she cried, eyes widening at her floating nephew. Dudley’s jaw had dropped. Voldemort just smiled and stood.

Harry’s eyes flew open and he glanced down. “I’m flying...” he murmured, staring at the empty space beneath his feet. Reality struck rather suddenly and he gave a whoop of joy before twirling in the air gleefully. “I can fly! I can fly!”

Voldemort caught Harry in a tight embrace to keep the Angel from hitting his head on the ceiling. “Better?”

“The best!” Harry agreed, overjoyed. He gave his lover a sound kiss, then rested his head against his chest. “Thank you.”

“You’ll have to thank Blaise, as well. He made it,” Voldemort informed him, settling them on the ground gently.

“I will!” Harry nodded vigorously, then turned to Dudley, who was smiling. “Come on. Let’s go outside. We can take turns!”

“Wicked!” Dudley laughed, blue eyes brightening at the prospect.

The cousins ran from the room, laughing, and Voldemort and Petunia traded smiles.

“Perhaps they should have a chaperone,” the Demon Lord said.

“And you?” Petunia asked, somehow knowing he meant her.

“We have paperwork, regrettably.” Voldemort sighed. “Holidays do not mean rest for us.”

Petunia nodded and watched the man leave her room with a sad smile.

-~*~-  
August of 2004, Human World  
-~*~-

Harry and Dudley were up on the Surface at the Arcade with their friends, Piers, Draco, Blaise, Hermione Granger, and Dean Thomas. The latter two were dating, as were Draco and Blaise, and Dudley and Piers, but neither of the three happy couples ever let Harry feel like a third wheel. They always found something they could all do, and worked hard to keep Harry from being left out of anything. In turn, Harry gave them their time with each other in shifts, of a sort, and hung out with the other four while one couple had a snogging session.

Harry was playing a racing game against Piers when he heard a commotion behind them. Trading looks, the young men put the game on pause and twisted in their seats to see what was going on. Harry’s stomach dropped at the sight of the three Angelic Council members and the two members of the Angelic Police. All five had their wings out, which was the cause behind the commotion.

“Harry, what’s going on?” Piers whispered, seeing Harry’s pale face.

“Remember what we told you about me being tossed from Heaven and pretty much breaking every single Angel law I could just to tick them off?” Harry whispered back.

“Yeah?”

“Those are the people I was pissing off.” Harry slid down in his seat with a groan. “I am _so_ dead.”

Piers’ eyes widened as Draco and Blaise got in the way of the Angels. “What the fuck do they think they’re going to do?” he hissed.

Harry’s head shot back around his chair and he groaned at his Demon friends. “I think they plan on stopping them.”

“Actually, they’re keeping them busy,” Dean hissed as he, Hermione, and Dudley slipped out of the crowd next to the game Piers and Harry had been playing. “I have no clue what they want you for Harry, but I don’t like the look of ‘em. Let’s head out.”

Harry nodded and vaulted out of his chair, ducking behind Dudley as soon as he could. Neither Dean nor Hermione knew the truth about Harry, Draco, Blaise, or Dudley, just that the four had a big secret that they were bound and determined to keep from everyone. As the group left through the back exit, Harry decided it was time they told their friends. “Park,” he hissed to the group.

His friends nodded and changed course. Harry walked in the centre of the group, glad, not for the first time, that he was shorter than all but Hermione, who was the same height as him.

Once in the park, the group went to their little hide-out; a pile of bushes that had and empty centre. Harry waited until everyone was inside before speaking. “I think you two deserve to know what’s going on.”

“Harry,” Dudley hissed, eyes widening. “Is that wise?”

“If any of the Council members realise that ‘Mione and Dean were with Draco and Blaise, they’ll go after them for information, Dud. They need to know what’s going on.”

“Harry’s right, Dud,” Piers agreed. “This is serious. They haven’t tried searching Harry out up here before.”

Dudley sighed. “Alright.”

Harry nodded and turned his attention back to his two friends. “To start, let me tell you that I’m not Human, I’m an Angel.”

“A real Angel? Like, with wings and stuff?” Dean whispered in shock.

Harry smiled grimly. “Yes, though my wings are locked because the Angelic Council decided I needed to be tossed into the Human World for loving a Demon. Dud here is half Angel, half Human. Both Blaise and Draco are full-blooded Demons.”

“Okay, I can go with that,” Hermione spoke up. “I mean, I’ve seen enough odd things from those two and Dud to believe it all. But, why are they after you now if you’re already being punished?”

“I can think of only one thing.” Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been disobeying every law the Angelic Council ever set up, even those aimed at Angels living in the Human World. I believe they’ve finally come to deal with me.”

“Couldn’t it be anything else?” Dean asked, eyes wide in horror at the thought of what these people might do to his friend. Hermione had gone pale.

“Doubtful,” Dudley answered. “I thought we made it clear that if they wanted you for anything legal, they needed to go through the Demon Lord.”

“We did.” Harry nodded. “The papers were signed by both sides. Aunt Petunia stood over the Council until every member signed it.”

Draco and Blaise chose that moment to step into the hide-out. “I take it by what you just said that ‘Mione and Dean know the basics.”

“Harry told them,” Dudley agreed darkly.

“Harry was right to tell them,” Draco shot back before looking at Harry. “His Lordship needs to know about this, Harry. They’re combing the surface for you. We saw at least two more groups of them on our way here.”

“Hells and Heavens.” Harry groaned. “Right, we need to tell Voldemort.” He glanced at Hermione and Dean seriously. “Want to come with us to Hell?”

Dean and Hermione traded looks before both nodded. “It should be very informative,” Hermione agreed.

“Figures.” Draco rolled his eyes. “You two are with Blaise. Harry, I’ll take you.”

Harry made a face. “Have I ever mentioned that I hate not being able to get home without help?”

“Every time,” Draco agreed. “Ready?”

“No, but let’s go anyway. Do your best to suppress the sound.”

“Yes, Mother.” Draco snorted, closing his eyes.

With the faintest of ‘cracks’, the group of friends disappeared.

-~*~-

Voldemort frowned as his lover and the group of the young Angel’s friends came in. Harry, Draco, and Blaise looked livid. Dudley and Piers just looked relieved. Hermione and Dean looked like they were caught between shock, awe, and anger. “What are you all here for?” the Demon Lord asked, standing.

“Fuck...” Dean whispered, eyes widening at the impressive figure the Demon made in his billowing black robes with his wings flaring out behind him.

“The Angelic Council is combing the Surface for me,” Harry replied coldly.

Scarlet eyes flashed dangerously. “Excuse us?”

“You heard me the first time.”

“Harry...” Hermione whispered, tugging on the back of Harry’s shirt.

Voldemort exploded suddenly, and Harry was the only one who didn’t flinch. “Have they lost their minds?!”

“You’re implying they had minds to begin with,” Harry pointed out dryly.

The Demon Lord let out a chilly laugh. “A good point, Harry.” He flew over his desk and landed in front of the young Angel. “We doubt Dumbledore knew, or he’d have warned us. Let us go have a word with him,” he suggested.

“Ooh, are you letting me come too, this time?” Harry asked in a pleasant voice.

Amusement danced in the Demon Lord’s eyes, surprising Hermione and Dean. “You may all come, we suppose. Best to keep you lot under our supervision, anyway.”

Harry laughed and motioned for everyone to follow out of the room into a connecting chamber. On one wall sat a large mirror that had a faint green glow to it. The Demon Lord activated it with a wave of his hand, scowling.

“Harry!” a voice cried in answer to the summons.

Harry grinned at the black-haired Angel on the other side of the connection. “Minerva! This is a surprise. I thought Albus always answered the mirror.”

Minerva McGonagall’s face fell. “Albus is fading, Harry.”

“What?!” Harry and Voldemort cried in unison. Dudley, Draco, and Blaise behind them all looked horrified.

“Is that why the Council is combing the Surface for him?” Draco demanded hotly.

“I don’t know what the Council is doing,” Minerva answered. “They all left this morning with maniacal glints in their eyes. I would have stopped them but–“

“Minerva, who are you talking to?” a weary voice called from beyond the mirror.

“Albus, get back in bed this minute!” Minerva demanded hotly.

Great God Albus Dumbledore tottered into view and blinked at them all a few times before smiling at Harry. “There you are. I haven’t seen you in quite a few years.”

Harry bit his lower lip, then turned to the Demon Lord next to him. “Take me up there, please?”

“Harry, no!” Minerva cried in horror. “The Council will _kill_ you!”

“You can’t!” Dudley, Piers, Draco, and Blaise all agreed.

But Harry continued to stare at the Demon Lord pleadingly. Voldemort let out a sigh. “We will take you, yes.”

“Albus, stop this foolishness!” Minerva pleaded with the Great God.

But Albus just nodded to the two lovers in Hell. “I will await you in the Grand Audience Chamber. Bring your friends,” he said, then ended the connection.

“Well, that was an invite if I’ve ever heard one,” Draco said, licking his lips. “But I’m not sure even an _invite_ will keep _you_ safe, Harry.”

Harry shrugged. “I have to go,” was all he said.

“We’re taking the Amulets up to the Surface,” Voldemort ordered. “To the Dursley residence, to be exact. From there, we will slip-stream up to Heaven. Miss Granger, you will go with Draco. Mr Thomas, you will go with Blaise. Mr Polkiss, you will go with Dudley until we reach the surface. Once there, you will slip-stream with Petunia while Dudley comes with me. Understood?”

“Yes, Lord,” everyone agreed softly. Voldemort nodded and pulled Harry against his chest. The two disappeared silently.

-~*~-

Petunia looked up in shock when Harry and Voldemort appeared in her kitchen first, followed closely by Dudley and the rest of the two young men’s friends. “What’s going on?”

“Albus is fading,” Harry said calmly. “We’ve all got an invite to go up there, and the Council is currently combing the Surface for me. We must move quickly.”

Petunia nodded and forced her wings out. “We’re slip-streaming, I assume?”

“Yes.” Voldemort nodded. “You take Piers. We will be taking Dudley.”

“What about Harry?” Petunia whispered, glancing at her nephew in concern.

“Blaise modified my bracelet for slip-streaming for my birthday, remember?” Harry replied with a touch of amusement. “I’ll be fine.”

“Of course.” Petunia sent Blaise a grateful look, earning her a brilliant smile, then motioned to the kitchen door. “Let’s move.”

“We sense no Angels except you three in the area,” Voldemort reported. “But move quickly anyway.”

Everyone nodded and hurried outside to slip-stream upwards.

-~*~-

Harry ran ahead of everyone else and burst into the Grand Audience Chamber without taking the time to go through tradition. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t _have_ time. As soon as he caught sight of Albus, he ran up to the man and hugged him tightly, letting his tears fall freely. He didn’t want to lose his mentor like this.

Albus smiled sadly and gently stroked Harry’s hair, watching as Minerva closed the doors behind the others who came with his successor. “Welcome.”

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at something. “They poisoned you,” he spat. He didn’t like the current God, but he’d never side with Angels who would kill the older man.

Eyes widened around the room and Harry tensed. “Yes, they did,” Albus agreed. “They did not believe I had a successor, of course, so they believed it was safe.” He pushed Harry away so he could meet the Angel’s darkening green eyes, ignoring the gasps as the truth sunk in for those who hadn’t known it. “I want you to disband the Council when I’m gone, understand?”

“Can I maim them a little?” Harry inquired pleasantly through his tears, though his voice had a sharp edge to it.

Albus chuckled. “No, no. Gods don’t maim. Though, I’ve heard Demon Lords do.”

“Do they _ever_ ,” Harry agreed.

“Dumbledore, you might want to do this,” Voldemort warned.

The Great God nodded. “Tom, when the ceremony is finished, I want you to take Harry back with you. He will be weak, and the last thing we need is for the Council to get their hands on him.”

The Demon Lord pursed his lips, but didn’t bother arguing with the use of his birth name right then. “Of course we will.”

“Good.” Albus looked to Minerva. “Go with them. They’ll need another person to slip-stream, assuming I can still count properly, and I’d rather you not have to face the Council alone.”

“I will, Albus,” Minerva agreed dully.

Albus nodded, then rested a hand on Harry’s forehead. “I doubt having a bound God would do much good, don’t you agree, my dear boy?” Harry nodded wordlessly. “I, Great God Albus Dumbledore, hereby unlock your bindings of uncalled for punishment,” the elderly Angel murmured.

Harry’s wings sprouted at once and he closed his eyes to focus on his Magick, smiling to himself when he found it with the same ease he had before his binding. “Thank you.”

Albus smiled. “You remember the words of the ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Albus took a few steps away from Harry then glanced at their audience. “Will you all witness this succession?”

“We will,” Voldemort agreed formally. A chorus of “I will”s followed the Demon Lord, who smiled grimly at the two Angels before him. “Do it.”

Albus turned back to Harry. “I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, stand here as the Great God of the Heavens and the Earth. My time draws near and I must pass along the baton to another. I choose Harry James Potter.”

“I, Harry James Potter, stand here as an Angel outcast and the lover of the Demon Lord Voldemort.” This was followed by a few muted gasps, which both Harry and Albus ignored. “I have been trained in my Magick and have learned what I must to lead others where they must go. I accept the baton.”

“Have we witnesses?” Albus inquired.

Voldemort spoke up first, setting an example for the others. “I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, also Voldemort, stand here as the Demon Lord of the Hells and the Earth and the lover of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Minerva Athena McGonagall, stand here as the Angelic Academy’s chief Shifting professor and top advisor to the Great God to witness this exchange.”

“I, Petunia Evans Dursley, stand here as a teacher of history and aunt of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Draco Justis Malfoy, stand here as a member of the Demonic Guard and friend of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Blaise Kim Zabini, stand here as the Demon Lord’s Chief Technology Demon and friend of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Dudley Gary Dursley, stand here as a computer major in the Human World and the cousin of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Hermione Jean Granger, stand here as a librarian in Guildford and friend of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“I, Piers Pippin Polkiss, stand here as a car mechanic and friend of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

I, Dean Edan Thomas, stand here as a painter of Human art and friend of the Angel outcast Harry James Potter to witness this exchange.”

“So witnessed–“ Albus started.

“–so be it,” Harry finished.

Then, before the eyes of the witnesses, Albus started to fade from sight as he walked towards Harry. Harry stayed firmly where he was, watching the moving spirit with tear-filled eyes. As Albus reached Harry, he whispered something only the young Angel could hear, “You were born to change the world, Harry. So said the prophecy of your birth.” Then the faded God stepped into a wide-eyed Harry, dissipating completely.

Voldemort moved with the speed of light to catch Harry, as the new God crumpled to the ground from exhaustion. Hugging the listless form to his chest, he turned back to the others, many of whom were crying, and sighed. “We must leave. Angels approach the Chamber.”

Minerva nodded sharply. “Slip-stream down to the Quiraing in Scotland. It’s generally empty, and they’d hardly think we’ll be there.”

“Perfect.” Voldemort nodded. “Minerva, can you take Dudley?”

“Of course,” the dark-haired Angel replied coldly.

“Good. Let’s go,” the Demon Lord said before forcing himself to slip-stream through the clouds beneath them. With a few sighs, the others followed.

-~*~-


End file.
